1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to networking systems.
2. Related Art
Computer networks commonly are used to transfer information to and from computing systems. Network adapters or interface cards are commonly used to receive network information (as packets or frames) from other network devices and systems and forward the information to a computing system. Network adapters are also used to transfer information from a computing system to other network devices and systems.
Typically, network adapters use buffers (memory storage modules) to handle network traffic. Receive buffers are used to temporarily store network information received by a network adapter, and transmit buffers are used to temporarily store information that is sent by a computing system via the network adapter. Accessing transmit or receive buffers may present a bottleneck and limit the speed at which data may be transferred through a network adapter.
Network adapters today can transfer data over a network link at very high rates, for example, 10 gigabits per second (10 G). Additionally, high-performance computing systems today often include multiple processors. As network adapter transfer speeds increase, there is a need for efficient buffer management in network adapters to permit combined use of high speed network adapters with multiple processors.